Combination hanger and clamp for supporting electrical conductors



May 6, 1952 A. H. GENTER 2,596,022 COMBINATION HANGER AND CLAMP FOR Filed May 27 1948 SUPPORTING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS 2 Sl-IEETS--SI-1EET 1 IN V EN TOR. A/berzf 566/7256 y 6 9 A. H. GENTER 2,596,022

COMBINATION HANGER AND CLAMP FOR 4 SUPPORTING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS Flled May 27, 19.8 i 2 SHEETS SHEET 2 I N V EN TOR. 4 /66/11 #660 66/1 2 4 ///5 A77OPNY Patented May 6, 1952 COMBINATION'HANGER AND CLAMP FOR SUPPORTING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS Albert H; Genter, Mount Lebanon, Pa.

Application May 27, 1948, Serial No. 29,490

ZClaims. l

The principalpbject which I have in view is the provision of a more durable and efficient device, for suspending and insulating electrical conductors, such as trolley wires and feed wires, especially in mining and tunneling operations,

but applicable also to general use for the overhead support of electrical conductors.

For these purposes my invention provides a device comprising a metallic member provided with means for attaching it to an elevated support, such, for instance, as the roof of a mine or to the roof support, said member being provided with a depending clevis portion, a second member,; formed of dielectric or insulating material, which is fittedupwardly into the clevis of the first member and fixedly secured therein, and

metallic'means secured to and depending from the insulator member and provided at its lower extremity with a portion in which the electrical conductor is held.

The points of attachment between the first member and the insulator member and between the insulator and the means for supporting the electrical conductor are spaced apart so that a suflicient extent of the dielectric material of the insulator member is interposed between such points of attachment to prevent positively the leakingor current between the conductor supporting means and the first mentioned member.

Thus, in, the preferred embodiment of the principles of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings, the insulator member consists of an oblong block of insulating material, such as a laminateddielectric plastic with its longer axis disposed 'at right angles to the depending clevis into which it is fitted, the block being provided with a transverse hole at its longitudinal center which registers with the aligned holes in the legs of the clevis. A rivet or bolt extending through the three registering holes secures the block in; place and the flat top surface of the block fits against the flat bottom surface of the bridge of the clevis to hold the block against movement'relative to the clevis.

The means for supporting the electrical conductor has substantially the same horizontal length as the insulator block, and it is provided with a bolt hole adjacent each of its ends, which holes register with holes in the insulator member and through which bolts extend to secure the said conductor-supporting means to the insulator block. The intermediate portion of the top edge of the-said means intermediate of the bolt holes is dipped downwardly to space said means from the legsvofkthetclevis, thus providing for the 2 proper electrical insulation between the first mentioned member and said conductor-supporting means.

A satisfactory manner of eiiecting such insulating space is to provide the said conductorsupporting means with upwardly extending pierced ears adjacent its opposite ends to receive the bolts by which it is secured to theinsulator member, and to curve the top edgeof the insu--- lator member downwardly between the ears to substantially space it from the clevis legs, which legs preferably are of arcuateshape to provide a uniform insulating spacing.

Where my invention is tobeemployed for the support of a trolley wire, theconductor-supporting means consists of apair-ofdepending jaw plates bolted at either side of the insulator member and provided with coactingtrough portions adjacent to and parallel with their horizontal lower edges, which trough portions coast to grip the wire between them as the bolts securing the jaws to the insulator member are tightened, the ears of said jaws being provided with rounded horizontal ridges on their inner faces above the bolt holes so that the lower edges of the jaws swing toward each other'as the bolts are tightened.

Where the hanger clamp is to be used to support a feed wire or the like, the conductor-supporting means is in theform of asingl plate provided, as in the case of the jaws, with upwardly extending pierced cars at each end of its upper edge, the intermediate portion of said edge is depressed between the ears, saidplate being bolted against oneside of the insulator block. The lower edge of the plate is bent or curved inwardly and upwardly toprovide 'a'longitudinal shelf in which the conductor is laid, and a bolt extends through ahole in theplate and through a registering hole in the trough adjacent the free edge of the latter to hold the conductor against disengagement from the trough,

Other advantageswill appeal-from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein are illustrated practical embodiments of the principles of the invention,

Fig. l is aside elevation showing the hanger clamp secured to the protruding end 'of an expansion bolt fixed in a hole bored in the mine roof, and a trolley wire supported by the same;

Fig. 2 is a top-plan viewof the in sections same with parts Fig. 3 is an end view of the same Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the hanger clamp showing the latter secured to the under face of a horizontal beam, such as one of the roof-supporting beams of a mine;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the same;

Fig.6 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing the hanger clamp secured to a vertical face of a mine timber;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation showing the hanger clamp arranged for supporting an electric conductor, such as a feed wire;

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the same, and

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the same with parts in sections.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, 20 indicates a metallic member, which con"- veniently may be a casting, and which integrally comprises a horizontal plate portion 2! having a fiat under surface from either side of which depends a leg 22, the legs and the under surface of the plate constituting a clevis. Extending upwardly from the plate portion 2| is a tubular neck 23 internally threaded to be screwed up on the threaded lower end of a bolt 24 protruding downwardly from an expansion bolt mechanism25, which latter is fixedly embedded in a hole bored in the mine roof 2%.

21 indicates a member or block of suitable electrical insulating material, such for instance as a laminated dielectric plastic, and preferably of rectangular shape. The block 21 fits snugly up between the clevis legs 22 and against the under surface of the plate portion 2!, and is secured rigidly in position by means of a fastening member such as the rivet 28 extending through registering holes in the legs and the block.

The block 21 is long enough to extend considerably beyond the ends of the plate portion 2| and adjacent each of its ends the block is provided with a transverse bolt hole, said bolt holes preferably being below the level of the rivet hole in the block.

. 29 indicates a pair of metallicjaw plates which are bolted on either side of the block 2'7. At either end the jaws are provided with an upwardly extending eartfl, eachv ear being pierced with a bolt hole, so that the bolts 3i may be inserted through each set of three registering holes to mount the jaw plates on the block 21.

To avoid leakage of electric current from the jaw plates to th clevis legs 22 the top edge of the jaw plates is curved downwardly intermediate of the ears, thus providing a uniform clearance of relatively great width between the jaw plates and the legs, the edges of the latter being also provided with a similar curvature to maintain a clearance of uniform value.

As shown in Fig. 1 the curve of the top edge of the jaw plates 29 may b deep enough to clear the bottom edge of the insulator block 21.

The ears 30, above their bolt holes, are provided on their inner faces with horizontally extending ribs 32 which bear against the block 2'! and space the jaw member from other contact with the block.

The Jaw plates 25 extend materially below the block 21 and are bent inwardly toward each other and at their bottom edges are provided with inwardly faced trough portions 33 which grip and securely hold in place the trolley wire 34. The tightening of the nuts on the bolts 3| which secure the jaw plates to the block causes the jaw 4 plates to swing toward each other on their ribs 32 and tightly grip the trolley wire.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I illustrate the attachment of the hanger clamp to the under face of a mine roof timber. The structure is similar to that already described except that the tubular threaded neck is omitted and a longer horizontal plate 35 is employed, said plate is provided with bolt openings 36 at its ends. To mount the hanger clamp in place screw bolts 31 are engaged in the openings 36 and driven up into the timber 38 with the plate 35 fitting flat against the under surface of the timber.

In Figs. '7, 8 and 9 the horizontal flat portion shown at 39 is shortened and from the end of it a vertical plate portion 40 extends upwardly and is provided at its ends with bolt openings 4|. The plate'portion fits flat against the vertical face of the timber 38 and is fixed thereto by the screw bolts 42.

Referring now to Figs. 10, 11 and 12, I show an adaptation of my hanger clamp to the support of an electric conductor, such as a feed wire. In this instance the jaw plates above described are not used but a single metallic hanger plate 43 is substituted. The plate 43 is bolted to one side of the insulator block 21 by means of the bolts 3| which are inserted through the holes in the ears 30 of the hanger plate 43 and the top edge of the hanger plate intermediate of the ears is curved downwardly to be sufiiciently spaced from the clevis legs to insure against current leakage.

The bottom horizontal edge of the hanger plate 43 is bent laterally and upwardly to provide a shelf 44 along which the conductor 45 extends and the vertical portion of the hanger plate 43 and the lip of the shelf 44 are provided with bolt holes in which the angular bolt 46 is inserted, and a nut 41 is screwed up on the .threaded end of the bolt to clamp the conductor firmly.

on and to the shelf.

The bolt hole 48 in the wall of the shelf 44 is open to the edge of the shelf for convenience in inserting the bolt 46 in place and to enable the angular bolt to tightly grip the conductor as the nut is tightened on the bolt.

My improved hanger clamp is less expensive to manufacture than those now in general use, and more durable and reliable. Again it -requires less head-room, which is an important consideration in mining operation. It maybe used in connection with the standard expansion bolts, and its use simplifies the requirement of accessories employed in stringing feeder and trolley wires. 1

I claim:

1. In means for supporting an electrical conductor, such as a trolley wire, from an overhead structure, thecombination of a plate of insulating material, and provided on its sides with flat vertical side portions, means for supporting said plate from an overhead support, a pair of metal jaw plates mounted one at either side of said insulator plate, and'depending below the same, said jaw plates belowthe insulator plate converging and each being provided at its lower extremity with an inwardly projecting horizontal straight and relatively sharp edge, which edges are arranged to grip the conductor between said jaw plates, the upper ends of said jaw plates being provided on their inner faces with straight horizontal fulcrum beads which bear against the fiat faces of the sides of the insulator plate so as to maintain the bodies of said jaw plates'out of contact with said insulator plate, the insulator plate and the jaw plates being provided with registering holes, a bolt with a threaded end extending through said registering holes, and a threaded nut applied to said bolt to cause the lower edges of the jaw plates to move toward each other and firmly engage the conductor from either side to secure the latter in place.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized by the said beads being of sufficient size to maintain the bodies of the jaw plates out of contact with the fiat sides of the insulator plate when the beads are in contact with said plate.

ALBERT H. GENTER.

6 REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 511,344 Love Dec. 26, 1893 715,415 Palmros Dec. 9, 1902 749,336 Steinberger Jan. 12, 1904 )0 935,895 Couch Oct. 5, 1909 1,420,407 Bower June 20, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15 484,766

France Aug. 14, 1917 

